Gyroscopic navigation instrument



May 23, 1939.

D. s. K. oss

GYROSCOPIC NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT Filed March 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill! 1 111 Ill/IL y- 1939- D. G. K. MOSS 2,159,099

GYROSCOPIC NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT Filed March 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 23, 1939 1 2 1 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GYROSGOPIC NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT Douglas George King .Moss, Sanderstead, England, assignor to Mechanism Limited, Croydon, England, a limited corporation of Great Britain Application March-8', 1938,- Serial No. 194,546

In Great Britain March. 15,. 198-7 This invention: relates to improvements in jet -W11iCh-impings on and drives the gyro wheel. gyroscopic' navigational: instruments. As-this construction of the horn of the gimbal The object of 'the'present invention is to ;in.- m and the'trunni'on is: the same on each side of crease the sensitivity of the values controllingv the gyro wheel it will suffice to identify the parts the: erection: of the: gyroscope: and minimise fric- Shownin section: in Figure 2 in that figure m Q tional disturbances. is the air-channel, Z are the inlet orifices and According to the present invention, the roll- I is the exit orifice. The air-stream passes from v able valve member is supported by pins located the casing it into the valve chambers a. When in straight line slots, the gyro wheel axis deviates from the true verti- 10 The invention as applied to an artificial horcal one or both of the valves will roll (depending 10 izon instrument is hereinafter more fully deupon whether the deviation is in a direction forescribed and illustrated in the accompanying and-aft or thwartships, or in both directions) drawings, in which: thus uncovering a greater area of the exit orifices Figure l is a vertical section through a gyro c at one end of the valve chamber and covering 16 ti l, d shows rolling disc val es arranged a greater area of the exit orifices d at the other so that they can roll to control the air jets. end of the valve chamber, and thereby vary g Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same with e intensity of the s u -J ts and 0011- th casing v d, sequently producing the desired erecting torque. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on t line In the case of excessive deviation, the exit origo of Figure 4 and fices 0 will be completely opened and the exit 20 Figure 4 is a horizontal section. orifices d COmDIBtBIY Closed- Referring t the drawings, the gyro wheel The valve roller is not self-centering and, in

is rotatabiy mounted on a vertical spindle -1 operation, oscillates slightly and continuously in an air-tight casing is which constitutes an tlflereby creaitmg and correctihg minute precesinner gimbal and which iS rotatabiy mounted sions. It will also be appreciated that, in this on inner gimbal trunnions 1 carried by an outer the 5 m bearmg j kept alive friction U shaped gimbal m which in turn iS rotatabiy effects nunimisecl and p1tt1ng of the caps and/or mounted by means of a hollow spindle m in cones of Spaced bearings q forming an Outer gimbal trum In an artificlal horizon instrument such as has nion This trunnion is housed in the back of the been i the stralght hne slots are 30 mal to t e spinning axis.

casing r. The axes of the trunnlons intersect the vertical axis of the gyro wheel at the centre me.des.lred mdmaplons are obtamed b means of the moving System 2f indmtdictziiltor n (Figures h1 alnd 2? wlzlch is at?- ac e o e gyroscope w ee casing so as o fii fi gg gg igg f zg fii g gg gggg z 33L extend at right angles to the wheel axis and also 35 at ri ht an les to the trunnion bearin s I. This ably radiussed and burn1shed,d1sposed1n straight indicgator wgorks in a slot 0 in a dial which is line slots 1', i provided in the end walls b of the carried by a spider o fixed to the gimbal d. Ca-Smg Whlch are closed by the Plugs e hghtly When there is any deviation from the true level engaging the ends of the pins 72. oppositely diin the fore-and-aft direction relative movement 40 rected alr exlt Onfices 0 and d are provlded takes place between the indicator and the cross the Opposite end Walls respectively and adapted level dial 0 and the extent of the deviation is to be Obstructed by the valveindicated by the position of the indicator in the e air-flow, which drives the gyro Wheel, is slot 0. Any deviation from the true level in eq y Controlled y the valves 80 as to thwartships direction is indicated by the dis- 45 P 08 an e ecti g torque Sh0u d the Wheel placement of a ring p (Figure 1) which is fixed sp nn i be disposed o ve i s ally, to the casing i, relatively to the dial 0 the ring a Venturi suction tube or other suitable means is being preferably marked in degrees and the dial attached t0 e u and in flight air is drawn being suitably marked so that the extent of the through the hollow spindle m at the inner end displacement can be ascertained with ease. The 5 of which the air-stream divides and passes true level is indicated by the setting of the indithrough a channel in each horn of the gimbal cator n in the middle of the dial with the dial m and then through inlet orifices in the inner itself positioned vertical in the outer casing. gimbal bearings whence it passes through the It is to be understood that the position of the trunnion and issues through an exit orifice as a controlling valves on the inner gimbal may be 55 varied so long as the air jets act to produce the erecting torque. Also, the air-stream for these jets may be supplied from some other source than that employed to drive the gyro wheel.

I claim:

1. In a gyroscopic navigational instrument, a valve chamber provided with a pair of straight line slots, a rollable valve member, supporting means for said valve member, said supporting means being movably disposed in said slots and permitting said valve member to move back and forth in said slots, said chamber being provided with orifices adapted to be opened and closed by the valve member during its movements.

2. In a gyroscopic navigational instrument, an air driven gyro wheel, a casing therefor, at least one valve chamber communicating with said casing, .a straight-line slot in each of the end walls of said chamber, a rollable valve supported in said chamber by means of pins at its ends resting in said slots, and air exit orifices in the end walls of the chamber adapted to be opened and closed by the valve member during its movements.

3. In a gyroscopic navigational instrument, a

gyro wheel, a casing therefor having at least one chamber with oppositely directed air-exit orifices, straight-line slots in the end wall of said chamber, pins in said slots supporting within the chamber a rollable valve controlling the opening and closing of said orifices whereby said orifices will be continuously opened and closed to apply erecting torques to the gyro wheel which create and correct minute precessions thereof.

4. In a gyroscopic navigational instrument, a gyro wheel having a spin axis normally substantially vertical, a casing for the gyro wheel having a chamber with air-inlet and oppositely directed air-exit orifices and straight-line slots adjacent each orifice, arollable valve supported in said chamber by means of pins at its ends resting in said slots and. adapted during rolling to open and close the exit orifices, whereby upon departure of the gyro wheel axis from the true vertical and in accordance with the direction of the tilt of the gyro spin axis, said valve rolls to cover one and uncover another orifice to apply a precessing torque to the gyro Wheel through the unbalanced air jet emerging from the open exit.

' DOUGLAS GEORGE KING MOSS. 

